If you have an opinion, idea, thought, or something to share, call +1 888-629-7864.

Sponsored By: Fixed Cost Financial, Inc. the home of Fixed Cost Investing℠

NOTES

1. Thoughtful Conversations - Clients

A. Actionable information and knowledge

B. Busy clients, families, work, commuting,

C. Importance of delegation

D. CEO to Basic Blue Collar

E. No longer comfortable with own skin, skill set, making better use of time

F. Confusing, complex, contradictory information

G. Pointing in the right direction

H. We developed a comprehensive program for Retainer, User, Delegator, Abdicator, Ignorer

I. Financial planning by and for the individual, same with economics, individual basis

2. Personal Air Conditioner - Facebook, Advertisement

A. Show links

B. Evaporator

C. EvaSMART 2

D. Indiegogo smash hit

E. Entrepreneur

F. Hogwash

3. Apartment Building Owners Try to Grapple with Tougher Energy Use Requirements

A. how much it might cost co comply.

B. New York City is the first city in the world to require all large existing buildings of 25,000 square feet or more, of which there are 50,000 citywide, to make efficiency upgrades… or face steep penalties

C. sustainability requirements

D. Energy efficiency is a worthwhile objective, but NMHC has argued that the upfront cost needs to be kept within reasonable bounds

E. Nearly all (98 percent) of apartment developers said changes in building codes over the past 10 years increased development costs for the average apartment project, and these costs, when they exist, average 7.2 percent of total development costs

4. Tony Robbins

A. Tony Robbins Strikes Back: Own Your Own Firm, Never Get Fired

B. We’ve watched at least one high-profile RIA pull away from Tony Robbins after the latest wave of old scandals resurfaced.

C. The logic there is ruthless but clear. The firm tied its reputation to the celebrity figurehead but can’t supervise his outside activities.

D. As his disclosures routinely point out, Robbins owns 30% of retirement plan service group America’s Best 401(k). They can’t kick him out without buying him out.

E. There’s no regulatory disclosure on the site and while the principals are passionate about better retirement outcomes, they don’t show up in an SEC search.

F. Medical Practice owned by non-Doctors

G. Salesforce founder Marc Benioff technically plays a similar role in this particular firm. He doesn’t pontificate much about plan design or how great America’s Best 401(k) is.

H. Benioff first discovered the self-help guru as a 28-year-old. The aspiring entrepreneur was working at a big corporation when he began absorbing Robbins's tapes and attending his seminars. Eventually, he credited Robbins with his decision to start Salesforce years later, now a $6.6 billion San Francisco enterprise behemoth.

I. It may be among the most ancient pieces of leadership wisdom, yet when it falls from Robbins's lips, people listen, and they have for more than 30 years. "When everybody's unsure what to do, and there's somebody who fucking knows, everyone pays attention," says Robbins. "Someone who has certainty, even if they're wrong, will lead other people."

J. Robbins Research International, a life-coaching empire that includes a massive book business (15 million volumes sold globally), an audio business (50 million programs sold), a life-coach certification business, and seminars for which attendees pay as much as $8,000 to be in the same room with the man himself.

5. Stocks rose strongly on Tuesday morning after Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that the Fed would respond appropriately to trade war risks. The comments pointed to a future cut in interest rates and echoed comments from St. Louis Fed President James Bullard on Monday. Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported that U.S. factory goods orders fell 0.8% in April, down from a revised 1.3% increase in March. T

6. Social Security was never really intended to be the sole source of income for older Americans. Originally developed in the 1930s to supplement employer-sponsored plans and other personal savings, it’s now become the major stream of income for many retirees.

A. Ninety percent of those 65 and older receive benefits today. More than 62 million Americans will receive approximately $955 billion in Social Security benefits this year.1 However, the gap between what we receive from Social Security and the income many of us will need in the years to come may be wide.

B. That’s why it’s crucial to consider how timing, income, and taxes impact your Social Security benefits. Understanding more about these factors can help you plan accordingly, avoid surprises, and prepare for what you may need to find other sources of income to fill any gaps.

C. Today, 66 is full retirement age for anyone born before 1960 and 67 for those born after. Your benefits grow by 8% every year that you delay claiming them. The longer you hold off, the greater your benefits will be.

D. There are certainly pros and cons to taking them early or waiting. You can actually delay taking them all the way to age 70 before you stop seeing incremental increases in the benefit amount. If you can delay taking benefits until at least 70, you’ll have increased your annual Social Security income by 76% relative to someone who began taking benefits early at 62.

E. If you’re thinking about working while receiving Social Security benefits, your benefits may be reduced depending on when you file.

a. Before full retirement age, benefits are reduced $1 for every $2 above $16,920 in earned income.

b. At full retirement age, benefits are reduced $1 for every $3 above $44,880 in earned income.

c. After full retirement age, there’s no limit on earnings. Withheld earnings are returned.

F. Your benefits may be taxed. The question is if they are, at what percentage? That depends on what tax bracket you’re in. If your combined income is equal to or less than $25,000 if you file as an individual ($32,000 if married, filing jointly), then none of your Social Security benefit is taxable

a. If it’s more than $25,000 and equal to or less than $34,000 ($32,000 and $44,000 if married, filing jointly), up to 50% is taxable. If your combined income is more than $34,000 ($44,000 if married, filing jointly), it goes up to 85% being subject to taxation

b. Speak with your tax advisor for guidance concerning the calculation of taxes.

G. Catastrophe Bonds

a. Catastrophe bonds (also known as cat bonds) are risk-linked securities that transfer a specified set of risks from a sponsor to investors. They were created and first used in the mid-1990s in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew and the Northridge earthquake.

b. In the first quarter of this year, a record $4.24 billion in new catastrophe bonds was issued in 17 separate transactions,” said Robert Hartwig, associate professor and co-director of the Risk and Uncertainty Management Center at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business. “What this says is that cat bonds are no longer ...